Amalgamator.



L. O. GROOKER.

AMALGAMATOR. APPLICATION FILED APR. 5 -1913.

Patented Sept. 30, 1913.

IN VE IV TOR 409 04/{55 A TTOR/VEYS LLOYD OSCAR cnocxnn, or BEATRICE,NEBIRASKA.

AMALeAMA'roit.

Specification of Letters iat'ent.

Patented Sept. 30, 1913.

Application filed April 5, 1913. Serial No. 759,100.

the kind operated by centrifugal force and adapted for general use, butespecially applicable for the separation of gold from crushed ores andsand when fed through the machine with water. In this connection I willcall attention to one or two facts, not generally known, relative to theuse of centrifugal amalgamators. With such machines as generallyconstructed, various difficulties arise in practice. One of thesedifliculties is that 'the sand or crushed 'ore in passing through themachine tends to displace the amalgamating material employed and causesthe latter to waste, this defect being known in some regions asflouring. I have noticed that the waste of the amalgamating material inthe relation just stated is generally due to the fact that the ore andwater, acting under centrifugal force, are thrown against a body ofamalgamating material, say, mercury or liquid amalgam, in such mannerthat the centrifugal pressure of the. ore and water tends to displaceportions of theamalgam,

. causing the -latter to flow out of the receptacle containing it. Thereis quite a tendency for the ore, generally in the form of sand, whileunder the influence of centrifugal force, to burrow under the lower edgeof the amalgamating material, and as other portions of the ore crowd onto a portion engaging the amalgamating material, some of the sand isforced back under the amalgamating material and against the wall of thereceptacle containing the latter, thus crowding out the amalgamatingmaterial.

I avoid the difficulties above enumerated by using a revoluble rimprovided with a compartment of peculiar form, the rim being carried by arevoluble table which extends into the compartment in such manner as topreventjthe overflow of the amalgamating material carried within saidcompartment.

-My device is so arranged that the ore under centrifugal force is'discharged against a predetermined upper portion of the amalgamatingmaterial, under such condltionsas to force the amalgamatmg material backinto the compartment rather than cause it to overflow from thecompartment.

In my device the ore or other material to be passed through the machineis so discharged as to obstruct the free egress of the amalgamatingmaterial from the compartment holding it.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawing in which like lettersindicate like parts.

Figure 1 is a substantially central vertical section through myamalgamator complete. Fig. 2 is a detail showing in cross section, therim and amalgamating material carried thereby as these parts appearwhile the machine is in action.

I provide a frame 4 and place within its upper end a hopper 5. Belowthis hopper are other hoppers 6, 7, of a larger size, eachextendingpractically the entire width of the frame and being secured tosaid frame.

Below the hopper 7 is a hopper 8, which is provided with a dischargechute 9. A revoluble shaft 10 is mounted in bearings 11, 12, and extendsfrom top to bottom of the frame. A pulley 13 is mounted rigidly upon theshaft 10 and is engaged by a belt 14 whereby it is turned in order tocause the shaft to rotate.

A number of tables 15 are provided, each table having a hub portion 16encircling the shaft, and secured rigidly thereto by a set screw 17.

The hopper 5 is supported from the top of the frame to which it issecured, by fastenings 18. Each of the hoppers 5, 6, 7, 8, encircles theshaft 10.

Each rim 19 having a general annular form, is provided with a flange19?, the latter being secured by bolts 20 to'the outer edge of the table15. Each rim 19 is provided with a compartment 21 into which extends theouter edge 22 of the particular table 15 associated with the rim. Eachrim 15 is so secured to the rim as to close that 110 portion of thecompartment 21 below the table, while leaving open the portion of thecompartment-above said table. A quantity of amalgamating material may befree mercury,'but I prefer to use amalgam, or mercury and metallicsodium made to proper consistency for the purpose.

The parts are so formed, proportioned and arranged that when theamalgamating material is placed in the compartments 21, and the tables15 are turned rapidly, the amalga matingmaterial, under the influence ofcentrifugal force, assumes such form that its inner surface becomescylindrical, as indicated in Fig. 1. Then when the sand, admixed withwater, is fed upon the tables and thrown outwardly by centrifugal force,the sand is forced. into engagement with the upper or exposed portiononly of the amalgamating material. The pressure due to centrifugalact-ion ofthe sand against the amalgamating materialtends to force theamalgamating material into thelower portion of. each compartment 21, andas the volume and pressure of the sand accumulates, there is a constantcreeping of the sand upwardly and over the flange 28. The Water alsoescapes in the same manner, the sand and water being thrown against theadjacenthopper.

In consequence of the action just described, the amalgamating material24 assumes the form indicated in Fig. 2, the

. upper portion of the amalgamating material being forced slightlyoutward so as to .,increase the thickness of the portion of the materiallocated below the table. The greater the pressure of the ore againsttheupper exposed surface of the amalgamating material, the greater becomesthe tendency of the amalgamating material to crowd into the lowerport-ion of the compartment as indicated in Fig. 2.

As will be seen from the foregoing description, the tendency of mydevice is to prevent waste of the amalgamating material while at thesame time attaining comparatively thorough cleaning of the preciousmetal from the ore. Since the ore sand is thrown directly intoengagement with the surface of the amalgamating material, and

is caused by pressure of additional sand to creep upwardly and passoverthe flange 23, the sand is brought thoroughly into contact with theamalgamating material, and is then disengaged from the amalgamatingmaterial without any tendency to force the amalgamating material out ofthe compartment. Each grain of sandhas a tendency to travel outwardlyuntil stopped by the exposed surface of the amalgamating material andthence to turn upwardly and pass over the flange 23. As far aspracticable therefore, each grain of sand is brought into contact withthe amalgamating material, and then thrown out, the amalgamatingmaterial being at the same time thoroughly circulated within a portionof the compartment there being little or no chances for the amalgamatingmaterial to make its escape.

I do not limit myself to the precise construction shown, as variationsmay be made therein without departing from thespirit of my invention,the scope of which is commensurate with my claims.

Iclaimzv 1. An amalgamator comprising a rim provided with an annularcompartment having a cross section bounded by an involute curve, arevoluble table carrying said rim and extending into said compartment,said revoluble table being in the form of a plane substantiallytangential to a portion of greatest curvature of said wall, means forturning said rim and said table, and mechanism for discharging ore andwater upon said table. 2. A device of the character described comprisinga rim provided with an annular compartment, a table extending into saidcompartment and secured to one edge of said rim so as to close a portionof said compartment upon one side of said table and to leave open aportion of said compartment upon the opposite side of said table, meansfor turning said table and said rim, and mechanism for feeding ore uponsaid table.

Witnesses H. D. HoHNBEcK, GUY Lmmoor'r.

nah.

